The Dance
by Lessa
Summary: The story's not as bad as the title is, I swear. Our favorite gang's at a dance, thinking....includes R/H.


A/N: Okay, I haven't posted in awhile, but here's a little weirdo piece that I wrote a  
really long time ago and just sorta felt like posting. It has R/H, but not too much, and it's  
very strange. Anything inside these little thingees are people's thoughts, and  
everything else is what they're actually saying or doing. Enjoy, read and review, por  
favor!  
~Lessa  
  
Disclaimer: I own nada, except Ali James.  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
"Draco - I was wondering - would you dance with me?"  
  
  
WOULD he dance with me? Ha!! He should be flabbergasted that I  
even considered asking a lowlife like him for a dance. He should be on his knees,  
breathless and kissing my hand. He should have his hands clasped and his head bowed,  
thanking the lord for such an incredible opportunity. He should be shouting for all the  
world to hear.....'she asked me for a dance! Me! ME!!' He should be. But he isn't. No.   
This is Draco. He's proud. He's strong. He would never explode in such a manner, no  
matter how great the temptation, no matter how full of excitement he was. He's to  
proper for such a ridiculous display. He doesn't look the least bit smug, not the tinniest  
bit conceited. I admire him for that. Any other boy would be ebullient.  
  
  
I mean, think about it. Me; shiny chestnut hair, full, pouting lips painted  
a glossy red, sparkling green eyes with just a tad bit of mascara to accent luscious lashes,  
and a cute little button nose. What more could he want? So I'm a bit short. I'm just the  
right height for him. I've got a powerful family, tons of money, and an outfit to die for.   
He'd be insane to turn me down. I'm me.  
  
  
He hadn't spoken yet; he was obviously speechless - if not enraptured by  
her enchanting beauty then amazed and flattered at his good fortune. She fixed her hair  
and flashed him a winning smile as she waited for his reply.  
  
  
~  
  
  
"Hey, Ron."  
  
  
"Hey, Hermione. Having fun?"  
  
  
"Yes, it's wonderful. The decorating committee did an amazing job with  
this room."  
  
  
"Yeah, It's great."  
  
  
There was a silence. Then, suddenly -  
  
  
"Do you want to dance?"  
  
  
"What?" Came the astonished reply.  
  
  
"Do - you - want - to - dance? We look pathetic sitting here. Besides, is it  
such a crime to want one dance with my best friend?" He grinned at her and stretched  
out a freckled hand.  
  
  
"Oh - sure," she answered, a bit flustered. She took his hand, however,  
and together they stepped on to the dance floor.  
  
  
Well, this is interesting. For once, we're not fighting, and actually  
having a good time together. He's not a bad dancer, actually, and he looks great in his  
new dress robes....  
  
  
Mental eyeroll. What am I thinking? This is RON, for heaven's sake.   
Ron. Ron who I have fights with five times a day. Ron who copies my homework and  
calls me a know-it-all. Ron who can't go through a day without picking a fight with  
Malfoy. But then again....he's also Ron who can make me laugh at any given moment.   
Ron who makes faces behind Snape's back when he picks on me during class. Ron who  
defends me when Malfoy starts up. He's my best friend. One of them, at least. So he's  
cute. I'm allowed to think stuff like that. Or am I? Does best friendship include  
thinking that the other person is attractive?  
  
  
Whatever. I don't care. It's fun to be on good terms with him for once,  
and not just because he's buttering me up so he can copy my Potions notes. I'll just  
enjoy the moment.  
  
  
She smiled at him as he twirled her under his arm, perfectly in time with  
the music, and laughed as he stuck out his tongue at Harry, who was dancing with some  
Hufflepuff nearby. He grinned back at her, and she wished the music would never stop.  
  
  
~  
  
  
"Sure, Pansy, I'd be delighted."  
  
  
I'd be delighted? Delighted? How about disgusted? Or nauseated? Or  
absolutely, positively revolted? She'll scar me for life, she will. I'll never be the same  
again. Sure, I'll dance with you, Pansy. Right after I've thrown myself off a cliff and  
drowned in a bottomless pool of bubotuber pus. Just looking at her makes me feel  
diseased. Her lipstick, smudged all over her mouth, that horrible hair, the clumps of  
something or other on her eyelashes, and that horrendous nose. Oh, the nose. It looks  
like she rammed into a brick wall. I'm being too cruel. It's not her fault she looks the  
way she does. Her appearance wouldn't normally trigger such an annoyance, had it not  
been for her horrid personality. So stuck up, so full of herself. Ugh.  
  
  
But how could I turn her down? Her parents and mine have been  
acquaintances for years - before we were born, in fact. My mother is Pansy's godmother;   
her mother is mine. I wonder what my mother thought when she first saw her  
goddaughter. I wonder if Pansy resembled a bulldog even at birth. Her family is a  
powerful dark arts one - how could I say no? She'd be sure to tell her parents, and then  
mine would find out, and the news would somehow reach Voldemort...  
  
  
So I'll grit my teeth and wince through the entire dance, contrite at having  
consented, yet knowing that there was no possible way to refuse. I'll act proud and  
decorous, as if her abnormally large foot hadn't just whacked me in the shin. I'll smile,  
and when it's over, treat myself to one long foot massage. It's the Malfoy way.  
  
  
He tried not to cringe as she stepped on him yet again, and continued to  
whirl her around the floor. He thanked the heavens he was leading - Pansy couldn't  
dance worth beans. She leaned over to speak to him, and his face contorted in disgust as  
the foul stench of her breath reached his nose. Nevertheless, he gave her a lopsided grin  
and kept on dancing. Just a bit longer....  
  
  
~  
  
  
Harry grinned across at Ali James, the newest addition to the Hufflepuff  
quidditch team. They'd been friends for a few months now - playing quidditch and  
comparing notes for the only class they shared, Herbology. With her help, his grade had  
upped considerably.  
  
  
It was fun dancing with her - neither of them were very good, and much of  
the song was spent laughing as they trampled each other's toes and stepped in the wrong  
direction. He couldn't help but smile at her as they twirled about.  
  
  
I have no idea what I'm doing. Left, right, left again...no, that's wrong.   
Whoops. Oh well. One, two, three, four - ouch! Ali! I don't blame her - I've stepped on  
her toes plenty of times. More than plenty. I'm surprised she can still walk. I'm  
surprised I can still walk. She's laughing - I like the sound of her laugh. It's not the  
musical kind, like a bell or anything like that. It's a real, genuine, I'm-having-fun type  
laugh. And she's smiling. I like her smile, too.  
  
  
It's great being friends with her - it's nice to have someone to practice  
quidditch with, to wave to in the halls, and to make fun of Professor Trelawney with.   
She can do the greatest impressions of people - kind of like Ron. Too bad Hogwarts  
doesn't have a drama program - she'd be the star.  
  
  
Her eyes are twinkling, sort of like Dumbledore's do. She looks pretty in  
yellow. When I told her that, she told me I looked good in green. I made a face and she  
laughed that wonderful laugh of hers. That was before. This is now. Now is when I'm  
dancing with her, when she's grinning because I screwed up....again. Left, right,  
left.....this is fun. I hope she's having fun, too.  
  
  
He high-fived her as they completed a step correctly - it wasn't very  
gentleman-like but he didn't care. He made a face at Ron who was dancing next to him  
with Hermione, and smiled at Ali again. A Hogwarts dance had never been more fun.  
  
  
~  
  
  
Ron grinned at a laughing Hermione. "What's so funny?"  
  
  
"You can make some of the weirdest faces, Ron."  
  
  
"Can I?"  
  
  
"Yes, you always could." She dissolved into giggles as he twisted his face  
up again, and he smiled. He loved making her laugh.  
  
  
So I do have a talent. Making faces. How wonderful. But it made her  
laugh, and that's what counts. This really isn't so bad - Hermione's a pretty good dancer,  
and she seems to be having fun. At least, I hope she is. She sure looks like it.  
  
  
She hasn't stopped smiling - I will never understand why it took me so  
long to notice the change in her front teeth. She has a great smile - it was cute before,  
when she had her 'rabbit teeth', as she now refers to them, but now it's gorgeous. I think  
she used some more of that potion on her hair - it's straight and shiny, only this time  
there's glittery barrettes in it, and they sparkle as they catch the light. She really does  
look pretty in her floaty blue robes.  
  
  
No - no, no, no, no, no. I did NOT just think that. Not about Hermione,  
my genius of a best friend since we were eleven. Not about Hermione, the girl who can't  
stand to break a single rule. Not about Hermione, the girl who throws a fit when I ask to  
copy her Transfiguration homework. No. But I can't help it. She really is beautiful.   
And it doesn't mean anything - she's my best friend. It's okay for me to think she's cute.   
I hope.  
  
  
Who am I asking? I can think for myself; she's my friend and she's  
attractive. There. I've said it. I love the way her eyes sparkle when she smiles. She  
looks so happy that I can't help but laugh too. It's contagious. She's contagious. It's  
insane. So why am I enjoying it so much?  
  
  
He chuckled as she attempted to touch the tip of her tongue to the end of  
her nose, without much success. She gave an amused whine of protest as he did it  
himself with ease. And so, laughing and whining, they made their way around the dance  
floor.  
  
  
~  
  
  
Pansy gave Draco a sickeningly sweet grin of apology as she accidentally  
trod on his toe for the fifth time. He hid his grimace, and her smile widened.  
  
  
"You're a wonderful dancer, Draco."  
  
  
He better be a good dancer - if he wasn't, he'd be even less deserving of  
me, if that's even possible. How else could that pale, mousy-faced thing even come close  
to me, talented, witty and radiant? It's sad, really. But if there's one boy in Slytherin I'll  
have for myself, it's him. There's a certain attraction in that pointed chin and silvery hair  
- a mystery and daring that I have to win over and make my own.  
  
  
There's no doubt that he'll fall for me - well, there is one. He's staring at  
a spot over my shoulder, and I can only guess who's there. Millicent Bulstrode.  
  
  
She's changed a lot over the years - she's become a tall, willowy thin girl  
with waist-long black tresses (dyed, I'll have you know), and icy blue eyes that pierce  
you somehow. Of course, she doesn't compare to me, but Draco's eyes have been  
flickering toward her quite often....  
  
  
"What do you think of Millicent, Draco?" Pansy asked innocently.  
  
  
Draco looked startled. "Um...I don't know her very well, Pansy. I'm  
really not sure."  
  
  
Pansy grinned to herself. Draco was definitely hers.  
  
  
~  
  
  
Hermione could feel herself losing her balance. She tried to steady  
herself, but toppled forward, into Ron's arms.  
  
  
"Whoa, there," he said, smiling slightly, "you okay?"  
  
  
"Um - yeah," said Hermione, breathless for a million reasons she couldn't  
name. Flushing pink, she regained her balance and Ron swept her back in to the dance.  
  
  
Ugh - what was that all about? How embarrassing! There's butterflies  
in my stomach and I don't know what they mean, and my face is still bright red. Could I  
- do I - no. Never. Never ever ever. No. Not Ron. Not me. No way.  
  
  
But suddenly I'm very aware of...everything. The fact that we're holding  
hands. The fact that his arm is around my waist. The fact that he's looking straight at  
me with those gorgeous brown eyes. It's strange. I think I - I think I - I think I'm going  
crazy. And RON, of all people. Ron! I really am crazy. But what other explanation is  
there? I never want the song to end. I want to stay in his arms forever, dancing like  
there's no tomorrow, without a care in the world. It's relaxing. It's so peaceful. It's  
beautiful. He's beautiful. That smile, and that wonderful red hair...  
  
  
Ugh - I need to snap myself out of it. It's disgusting. Disturbing, even.   
Right here and now, I vow to stop thinking things like that about him. Well...maybe after  
this dance....  
  
  
She shook her head to regain her senses, and resumed her pitiful attempt  
at touching her tongue to the end of her nose. He laughed that beautiful laugh of his, and  
she wondered why she had never noticed it before.  
  
  
~  
  
  
Ali bit her lip in immense concentration. Forward, side step,  
backward...."Ow!" she exclaimed.  
  
  
Harry grinned sheepishly. "Sorry about that."  
  
  
Her pain was gone as quickly as it had come and she smiled at her friend.   
"No problem." She laughed, but then let out a moan of defeat. "We are SO pathetic."  
  
  
Harry smiled ruefully. "I know. It's sad."  
  
  
"Yeah it is. But it's fun." She smiled. "We're pathetic and proud."  
  
  
"That we are. We definitely are."  
  
  
Pathetic and proud. I like that. It has a ring to it. Maybe we could start  
a club. Along with our 'Professor Trelawney is a pitiful fraud' club, not to mention the  
'SATP', or the Students Against Torture in Potions. We have the best time together. I'm  
so glad we became friends - we have so much in common and it's great to have a guy  
friend to talk to. All the guys in my house are - well - a little overwhelming. They'll  
believe anything they hear. Harry's smarter than that.  
  
  
He really does look good in green. I wasn't lying before - he's a  
good-looking guy. Not that I'm interested or anything. We're friends; that's all. And I  
know he feels the same way because he turns the color of a tomato every time he sets  
eyes on Cho Chang. It's hysterical. I love to tease him about it. I love to tease him  
period. I love to make him laugh.  
  
  
He's laughing now. I love to see him happy - I know how hard his life's  
been, and it makes me feel good that I can do something to make it better for him, like I  
am now.  
  
  
She tripped again, and they each let out a roar of laughter as they  
collapsed, just barely managing to remain upright.  
  
  
~  
  
  
Draco hopped to the side to dodge one of Pansy's deadly platform shoes,  
and glanced up again at Millicent. She saw him this time, and sent him a small smile,  
which he immediately returned. Then they both looked away, and the moment was gone  
as quickly as it had come, without leaving a single sign of its existence.  
  
  
She smiled at me. Smiled! At me! I wasn't lying to Pansy, for once - I  
don't know much about her. All I know is that she's beautiful. Enchanting. And I'd like  
to get to know her - perhaps I'll ask her for a dance if I can work up the nerve. I do hope  
she'll say yes. Most likely she will. After all, she DID smile at me.  
  
  
But that thought seems like such an unattainable thing - not only because  
of the fear of rejection, but because of this neverending song. Do these musicians never  
stop playing? I feel as if I've been whirling this clod about for hundreds and hundreds of  
years. I'll be here until I'm old and gray - I'll die dancing with her. If I don't die of old  
age, it'll be of multiple wounds and bruises from those evil shoes. Ugh. Has she any  
coordination at all? She's the exact opposite of Millicent - I'm sure she dances like a  
goddess, with her skirt whirling, and her feet barely touching the ground....  
  
  
Perhaps in a hundred years I'll be her dance partner, with my arm around  
her dainty waist and close enough to smell that beautiful hair, like rose petals.....but until  
then....  
  
  
Until then I'll have to concentrate on keeping myself alive, he thought  
dejectedly, hopping to the side to dodge a six inch heel. He turned his face away from  
the supposedly dazzling, seductive smile Pansy was sending his way, and strained his ears  
for any kind of transition in the music, praying for one that would release him from the  
clutches of this hideous creature....  
  
  
~  
  
  
Harry felt his face split into a grin as he successfully twirled Ali under his  
arm, and as she turned to face him again he could see that her expression mirrored his  
own. They were actually getting the hang of the whole dancing thing - they hadn't  
crushed each other's feet for nearly two verses. Feeling a bit more confident, he glanced  
around him, just in time to see Hermione collapse into Ron's arms. He choked back a  
great burst of laughter and concentrated on Ali again. She noticed his amused expression  
and looked confused.  
  
  
"What?"  
  
  
What? I'll tell you what. What is that my two best friends in the entire  
world are madly in love with each other, and are completely oblivious to it. Okay, so  
maybe they're not madly in love. Hell, they're probably not even in love. But they like  
each other, that's certain. And they're the only ones who don't know it. That's what.  
  
  
I know Hermione likes Ron. I can see it in her face, her eyes, her body  
language, I can hear it in her words - the way she talks, the way she acts...Hell, I can see  
it in her. He shines through her in every way, affecting her in a million different forms -  
psychological forms, forms that can't be seen on the surface. He somehow manages to  
weave himself into her brain, defining her personality, making her who she is. She is  
meant to be with him. If only they knew.  
  
  
I'm not sure if he feels anything for her, though - the attraction is obvious  
in Hermione, but not so much in Ron. I mean, sure he got jealous when Krum took her to  
the Yule Ball, sure he watched her every move when Viktor was around. But that  
doesn't mean anything....Ron grew up as a part of a huge family - he's a family person.   
He's incredibly protective of the people he cares about, the people who matter most. So  
now the question is, was his anger about the ball last year just brotherly love, or was it  
real, genuine jealousy at the thought of Hermione having affections for someone else? I  
know I'll find out someday; I'm just hoping it's someday soon.  
  
  
Ali's looking lost. I better tell her - but not here, not now, with Ron and  
Hermione themselves so close by. Some other time.  
  
  
"Later," Harry mouthed, and Ali nodded, understanding. They continued  
their pitiful attempts at dancing, Harry throwing glances at Ron and Hermione every so  
often, wondering.  
  
  
~  
  
  
The song was coming to an end now, and the three couples began to slow  
down, backing away from each other, flushing (or, in Draco's case, jumping away, his  
pale face tinged with green). They parted ways - toward the food, the chairs,  
Millicent....each lost in their thoughts, each wondering about the future.  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
A/N: Okay, so it was weird. Oh well. I may do a sequel, or I might not. It all depends  
on your reviews:-). Thanks for reading!!!  
  
  
~:-) (It's Harry!) 


End file.
